Exhaust nozzles of gas turbine engines generally comprise an exhaust centerbody centered therewithin in order to obtain an annular outlet for the flow of exhaust gas around this axisymmetric (i.e. relative to the main engine axis) centerbody. A minimal amount of ventilation inside the centerbody is required in order to comply with engine certification requirements for cooling the bearing housing and pressurizing to reduce the potential for oil leakage from equipment therein, since the cavity formed by the centerbody and the turbine section is a designated potential fire zone. While various ways of providing ventilation to the exhaust centerbody have been attempted, there remains a need for improved exhaust centerbody ventilation without significantly impeding engine performance and without requiring complex, and therefore expensive to produce, structures.